A cool and healthy option for our youth

Published 1:13 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

The rink, scheduled to be 185 feet long and 85 feet wide, will be the only inline rink of its kind in the tri-county area. While much of the time it will be available for kids to skate free of charge, the possibilities are many as the parks and recreation department eyes leagues and tournaments for inline hockey.

An inline skating rink wasn't part of the city's recreation plan, but it should provide a nice boost to the city's offerings. And better yet, officials say building this rink may help the city secure grant money for other parks and recreation improvements. That certainly would be an added bonus for this new endeavor.

While some may bristle a bit at the idea of spending money to build an inline skate park, we think it's a positive and proactive move on the part of the city. The rink will cost just under $150,000 to construct, with $50,000 coming from parks and recreation and the remainder coming from a healthy city equipment fund. We've already mentioned the possibility the rink could lure grant dollars for further improvements, not to mention visitors. In the end, an inline skating rink ultimately offers our young people something "cool to do" that also passes the parent test. And that may be the very best benefit of all.